Muskogee’s renewed playoff hopes generated from Sand Springs’ win over Sapulpa two weeks ago took a hit Thursday when that game’s outcome was reversed by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association due to a player determined to be ineligible.

The player, whose identity was not confirmed by press time, started for Sand Springs in that contest, a 28-24 victory by the Sandites. With the reversal of outcome, Claremore jumps to 5-4, 3-3 in District 6A-3 and one game ahead of Muskogee (2-6, 2-4) which plays last-place Tulsa Memorial at Indian Bowl tonight. The difference being Claremore’s 31-9 win over Muskogee three weeks ago.

For the Roughers, it boils down to this: Sand Springs (4-5, 2-4) must beat unbeaten and No. 1 Jenks, which wrapped up the 6A-3 title last week and Claremore would need to lose to Sapulpa (1-8, 1-5) to re-create the three-way tie that had Muskogee advancing with a win by 11 or more against Memorial. With that scenario, Muskogee’s required victory margin increases to 13, or the difference between a Claremore loss and Muskogee win must exceed 13 points.

Even after MHS coach Matt Hennesy told the team before practice Thursday, the mood on the team was surprisingly upbeat.

“We’re still going to go have fun, It’s the seniors’ last game and we want to go out on a high note,” MHS quarterback Mitch Stevenson said.

Not so with Hennesy.

“I’m honestly trying to understand this,” he said. “They’re making a team forfeit a game because the kid started in that game? Where is the rule for that? There’s nowhere in the rules that I’ve seen that specifies he has to start.

“It seems like the state’s making up the rules as we go. If they’re going to get this picky, they’d better increase their staff by about 400 people.”

Sand Springs coach Dustin Kinnard said the school was told of the penalty on Wednesday and immediately filed the appeal which was ruled on Thursday. He said the player, who started the game at safety, moved into the district from Sapulpa in January. He said it was his understanding that Sapulpa informed Claremore and Claremore reported it to the OSSAA.

“The kid moved to our district with an address, a water bill and it’s not like he just arrived,” Kinnard said.

Kinnard said it took “about 30 minutes” to get a ruling on the appeal.

David Jackson, who oversees football operations for the OSSAA office, said Thursday by phone that the rule is clear.

“If you start a game as an ineligible player, it’s a forfeit,” he said.

But asked about the specifics involving an ineligible player who plays but does not start, the answer wasn’t as specific.

“We try to determine the impact of the player in that game, but there’s nothing set,” he said, adding, “you could write a novel in trying to define that.”

So Muskogee likely faces the prospect of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002, that coming the year before Hennesy arrived as then first-year coach Ron Lancaster’s defensive coordinator.

“Bottom line, its our fault for losing to Claremore and Bartlesville (a 35-30 loss in the 6A-3 opener, where MHS led at one point, 23-8),” Hennesy said. “But for us to get our sights up thinking we’ve still got a chance to make something of it and then hear you’re having it taken away for something you had nothing to do with, that’s the frustrating part.”